


Of Babies and Beards

by Shes-claws-deep (CyrilOdahviing)



Series: Flash Sale Nov 2018 [4]
Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Babysitting, F/M, Totally Safe For Work, cute baby niece, for once, non-canon sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 09:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17077820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyrilOdahviing/pseuds/Shes-claws-deep
Summary: Craig's tired of his dates with you being interrupted. But this time, it's for a good cause - babysitting his baby niece Emma.





	Of Babies and Beards

**Author's Note:**

  * For [baysian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baysian/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I have 0 idea of how to babysit a kid. Sorry if it's not accurate.

“Gotta dip, Craigsy. I’ll make it up to you!” Her bearded bear of a brother doesn’t even manage to quip a retort before Jennifer Jenson is tearing down the road.

“Well.” You tilt your head. “That was…uh…”

Craig looks tired already, and he hasn’t even spent more than a minute with his baby niece in his arms. “Yeah, that’s Jenny for you.” Then he takes a big sigh and breathes in deeply, the mere motion fortifying him until he smiles at you with such fondness that you feel your heart squeeze a little in your chest. “Come on, I’ll hand Emma over and I’ll grab the basket.”

You’re shaking your head before he even completes his sentence, nodding your head at the baby who’s staring at you with wide, doe-like eyes. “Yeah…nah. I’ll grab the basket, babe, she looks comfortable where she is.” And indeed she does, her small form dwarfed by Craig’s huge arms – she looks more like a toy than a baby when she’s being held like that.

He smiles and lets you walk ahead of him to the door, his steps softer and slower than normal so as not to jostle the surprisingly docile baby. “She’s like her mom. I used to carry Jenny around when she was a kid.” Even as Craig sets her down on the play area, she just smiles up at him with that gummy smile. “A lot quieter though.”

You laugh too, setting the basket down so you can kneel by his side to extend a finger to the beaming child. “I can see that. Hello Emma~”

She squeals and waves her arms, flapping them and eventually grabbing hold of your finger. Unfortunately, she brings it to her mouth and starts sucking on it.

“Well, yes, it’s nice to meet you too.”

Craig laughs, gently pulling your finger away from his niece’s greedy mouth. “Babe, that’s what a pacifier is for.” He waves it and pops it in Emma’s mouth. “I guess you’re not used to babysitting, huh?”

“Noooo, what gave you that idea?”

He shakes his head and pats your hand, his forearm resting gently on his niece’s belly. “I got you covered.” His niece concurs, giggling and wriggling around until she rolls onto her belly to grab at the other toys lying around her. The movement draws Craig’s eye to her and he smiles a tiny smile, one hand propping his head up while the other rests on her back gently, stroking her shoulder and spine tenderly.

You, on the other hand, have to stop your heart from bursting out of your chest at the visual. Your lover, big, strong Navy SEAL Craig, lying on his side with his tiny niece sheltered by his buff body, a tender look on his face as he looks upon Emma as though she were the most precious thing he’d ever seen in his life.

Seeing as you’re this close to melting, you opt to get up and set up a little picnic area just out of the play area. You shake the blanket out and hunt down some squeeze bottles in the kitchen for the drinks; you don’t know whether Emma’s the sort to grab things, but you really don’t want to mess up Jenny’s carpet.

“Thanks, babe,” he murmurs softly, leaning up to kiss you on the lips as you feed him a small morsel of food. He sits up then, gently gathering baby Emma into his arms. “Up we go, Emmy, let’s go do a picnic.”

“Aaaabahb,” she gurgles around the pacifier, her hand landing in his beard.

“Oh Emmy, don’t-!”

Too late.

“Pull.”

Emma laughs and waves her tiny fists around, Craig’s prized beard jerking around with every movement. He winces at one particularly hard pull, his head lowering when she decides his beard looks like a tastier toy than her pacifier.

Deciding to help end his suffering, you come over and open her fists and slide the hair out of her mouth. “No, that’s uncle Craig’s beard, baby. You can’t eat that.”

Emma frowns a little, babbling at you.

“I know it’s tasty. He puts olive oil on that.” You nod and take her from him, continuing on as though Emma’s babbling was her actual spoken reply. “Did you taste the coconut oil? He’s very fond of that. Smells nice too, huh?”

Her head rocks a little, tiny hands coming up to clap gleefully. “Yes, uncle Craig’s beard does taste nice. But uncle Craig doesn’t like it when you touch it, so don’t put it into your mouth, okay?”

“Mm mmmb.”

“Good girl.”

Craig has his arms crossed, his beard askew and messy as he furrows his brow at you two. “You girls gossiping about me?”

“Noooo~” You press a kiss to Emma’s cheek. “Oh, you’re such a sweetie.” Then you whisper into her ear, “Yesss ruin his beard.” More claps.

“Ookay.” He rolls his eyes now, plopping down at the picnic area and sipping his soda with a faux sullen pout.

“Abbhbhbh,” Emma babbles again, bubbles forming on her tiny mouth as she stuffs her fist into her mouth.

“Do you feel bad for uncle Craig?” You kneel beside him just as she leans out to bat her pudgy fist on his face. “Give him some love, baby.”

Her uncle’s pout turns into a smile as she reaches out for him fully, her body already leaning towards him. He takes her, one thick arm curling under her head and back, the other pressing her securely into his chest, and motions with his head for you to join him.

Almost immediately, Emma’s eyelids start to flutter, her brow softening. Craig rumbles in his chest lowly, almost like a purr, as he murmurs a soft lullaby. His body starts to rock gently, back and forth, side to side, acting like a rocking chair for his tiny niece. It’s too deep and soft for you to really understand what he’s singing, but it’s doing its job because little Emma slips into slumber without a fuss.

Still, he continues, swaying gently with her cradled in his arms until he’s absolutely sure she’s knocked out.

“She’s out.” His speaking voice comes as a jolt after his quiet singing, his body stilling until he’s reclining against the sofa seat.

You lean over slowly, rubbing the back of one finger against her petal soft skin. “She’s so sweet. Are you sure she isn’t broken?”

“What, because she’s not crying?”

“Yeah.”

Craig suppresses his laughter, though a bright smile crosses his handsome face. “That’s because Jenny fed her before she left. And she’s tired. Just wait for an hour and you’ll feel the full force of her Jenson genes.” He gazes down at her and settles in. “She is adorable though.”

On his opposite side, you lean on his shoulder and pat his thigh. “You’ll handle her, uncle Craig. Or should I say…papa Craig?”

“Oh god, please no,” he groans. The dreaded nickname that the Germans came up with had stuck. “I’d rather stay an uncle.”

You grin toothily and bite his meaty shoulder. “Never say never, honey.”

He stills for a moment then, his arms shifting Emma’s weight slightly, and then turns to look at you with wide eyes; a tiny glimmer of something in there. “You…want to have children? With me?”

Oh shit. Uhhhh. Come on, think!

“I mean, that’s a topic for another day.” Good! Deflection. Procrastination. Great. Okay. “But, I’d think about it.”

Craig doesn’t look convinced, but then he gets this odd look on his face. It’s like something clicked for him. Luckily though, he drops it and turns his attention back to the food. “So, uh. Nice sandwiches, huh?”

Gosh, he’s even worse at deflecting than you are.


End file.
